User blog:Carol of the bells/Days of Ruin (Revised): Chapter 2, part 1
Just a little while before- “Lantern Flash,” Zen chanted. Five crystals hovered around her, glowing brightly before light burst forth from all of them. The projectiles pierced the attacking monsters. They crumbled to the ground before vanishing in a bright light. A blast of water caught her in the side, tearing at her skin. She grunted, gritting her teeth against the pain. Water mixed with blood splashed on the ground. She swung her arm, a fleet of crystal needles planting themselves into the body of a Ramia, her assailant. It let out a pained shriek as it collapsed. Another attack from the side. She dodged and countered. She felt a surge of confidence. She was so close to finishing her assault, and this time, it would be on her own. But fate is not kind. As she leapt away from another attack, the wound in her side flared with pain. She faltered, stumbling into the path of the attack. She quickly spawned a wall of crystal, hands raised to maintain it. The blast of water beat against it relentlessly. A loud crack resounded as the shield finally shattered. Zen shifted to accept the attack, but was knocked back none the less. Here she fought, in the Adventurer’s Prarie. The monster nest that she had found here was inhabited by monsters of varied attributes, but they were rumored to be easy to defeat compared to other beasts. So why was she struggling? She struck the ground with her foot, creating a wave of crystal spires. Several monsters were impaled, though a few escaped. Her vision grew fuzzy. She was losing too much blood. In a final effort to end the battle, she swept her hands through the air. Countless crystal needles filled the air, raining down on the monsters. Those who were not hit fled the battle, disappearing into the distance. Now short of breath, she leaned heavily on a pillar of crystal she had created. “Lancia, come,” She summoned. The healer appeared in a flash of light. Her blue eyes widened in horror as she took in her surroundings. “Zen, what happened…?!” “Just stop the bleeding,” Zen ordered breathlessly. Lancia hurried to her side, placing her hands over the gash. Her hands were enveloped in a warm red light. She looked around, surveying the land. “This…this is a monster nest, isn’t it?! Why in the ever-loving name of Gaia didn’t you summon us?!” Zen could feel the blood flowing to a stop. “I had no need to.” She replied, “Your duty as my units is limited to my need of your services.” “I know, you told me when we first met.” She frowned. “But…still, can’t you—“ “That’s enough,” Zen pushed her away. The wound had only begun to close, but the bleeding had stopped, and that was all she wanted. “Return, Lancia.” She blinked. “What? No, I haven’t finished healing your wounds.” Zen’s brow furrowed in anger. “I said return. I do not have the patience to wait while you heal me. Do not make me repeat myself. Return.” Lancia looked like she wanted to protest, but decided against it. Reluctantly, she faded into an orb of white light and returned to her summoner. Zen had to allow herself a few moments before she started walking. She knew she needed more time to heal, but she would never admit that to herself or her units. Perhaps if father knew how little she had depended on her allies, he would be willing to take her back. *** Mifune’s eyes opened slightly as a bright light momentarily filled the void, revealing Lancia. He chuckled. “Back so soon?” She scowled in response. “Shut up.” He shrugged. “What can I say, except that I told you so.” She frowned at him, crossing her arms and looking away. “Lancia?” She turned to see Selena and Aem approaching her. “How is she?” Lancia shook her head sadly. “It’s just like you said. She won’t listen to me.” Selena sighed. “I was encouraged when she had recruited a healer unit. But nothing has changed.” Mifune chuckled again, almost breaking into bitter laughter. “You’re all so sickeningly stupid. She’s not going to change any time soon. Get that through your head.” “No one asked for your opinion, stupid lamp-shade!” Lancia shouted from across the void. “You don’t care anyway, so just go light up a corner, or something!” “Hmph.” He turned his head away, closing his eyes again. “Geeze,” The young chef crossed her arms and huffed. “What’s his deal, anyway? He’s such a jerk.” Aem sighed. “Do not let his bitterness affect you. Selena, Mifune, and myself have been with Zen ever since her mother had died. We’ve had to watch her…decay into this state. Mifune has lost patience.” Lancia glanced over at the samurai. “I guess that explains it…still, I find it hard to feel sorry for the guy.” He chuckled. “I know. We only ask that you bear with us, and help keep Zen from the dark path she treads.” *** The seaport Zen arrived in was significantly larger than the villages she had stopped in. It was a little harder to hear one’s own thoughts over the din of the market crowd. It was a familiar feeling, however. It reminded her of her trips to the arena. She searched her pack for a smaller bag. Along her way, she had gathered a few valuable materials. Shopkeepers payed big money for the brightly colored leaves and rocks. They glowed with a faint energy. No one was sure where they came from, but monsters seemed to carry them. They were used by many summoners to craft special items that boosted physical strength or endurance. Zen, however, was only interested in a hot meal, and acquiring the Zel to do so. Still, she kept a few materials for herself. Maybe she would find use for them someday. She collected her money and made her way to the Spotted Dragon, a tavern that seemed to draw a lot of people. Even before she stepped inside, she could hear the laughter and shouts. That either meant the beer was good or the food was good. She hoped it was the latter. She pushed her way inside and immediately ducked as a flying (fortunately empty) mug crashed into the wall right over her head. She stood, already knowing she would not find the offender. She sat down at a table near the bar. It wasn’t her first choice, but it was the only available table. Shortly, a maid who had noticed her come in sauntered over. She placed a hand on her hip, raising a brow as she looked Zen over. “Hey kid…you waitin’ for your parents, or something?” She glared at the maid, reaching into her pocket and slamming five Zel onto the table. “What will this buy me?” she demanded. The maid thought for a moment. “A bowl of stew and an extra piece of bread.” Zen muttered under her breath that it was ‘highway robbery’, but she agreed anyway. The maid retreated to the kitchen to acquire her order. Zen would have been left alone with her thoughts had it not been for the racket around her. Some of the men were obviously travelers, and a few looked like locals. Most of the men, however, wore armor. She wondered if they were soldiers from the capital. Strange. What were they doing in these parts? “Here’s your stew, kid.” The maid placed the bowl in front of her, and a plate with two pieces of bread right next to it. “Enjoy.” “Hey,” Zen grabbed her sleeve. “What are the soldiers doing here?” She sighed, rolling her eyes. “Listen, you’re gonna have to speak up.” “What are the soldiers doing in this town?” Zen repeated, annoyed. She shrugged lazily. “Beats me. I haven’t heard much in this place. Everyone talks all at once, and you can’t hear a thing. I don’t listen anyway. When you’ve worked here as long as I have, you lose interest, you know?” She sighed listlessly and turned to leave. Zen looked over her shoulder at the bar where one of the soldiers sat. A young man had just walked (or rather, tried to walk—he was quite drunk) up to him, taking a seat at his side. She strained to hear the conversation. “Well,” The drunk man drawled, flicking the soldier’s armor. “Ain’t that a fancy bucket you’re wearing…You a soldier, hm?” The soldier downed his beverage, slamming the mug down. “Yeah, what’s it to you?” The younger man held his hands up in defense. “Hey, calm down. I’m just curious, you know?” He paused to gather his thoughts, as he seemed to have lost them in his stupor. For a second, Zen though he looked like he had forgotten his own name. “It’s just odd to see so many tin men around here. You from the Hall?” “Yeah.” The soldier looked irritated. “We got word of some ‘vigilante’ or somethin’. That’s what they’re calling ‘im. The brat’s tearin’ up a bunch of monster nests, and the big cheeses want to know why.” The drunk man looked dumbfounded. “…Why is that bad? The vigilampen, or whatever you called it…” The soldier threw his arms up in exasperation. “That’s exactly what I said! But no, we gotta waste our precious time investigatin’.” Zen’s eyes widened slightly. They were looking…for her? She felt a tinge of satisfaction. That meant she had done something to get the Hall’s attention. She was making progress. She also felt a little scared. She wanted to get their attention, yes, but she didn’t want to get arrested. She doubted her father would do anything to get her out if she were to be incarcerated. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Startled, she whipped around, slapping the hand away. Her movement pushed her chair away from the table, and another hand slammed down onto the wooden surface, preventing her escape. She was surprised to see it was the drunk young man, although, he didn’t look so drunk anymore. As the situation settled in, Zen grew angry. “Move,” She demanded lowly, glaring at the man. He stared at her, as if he was remembering something. “You….you’re that kid from the arena….” Her eyes narrowed. “What do you want?” He ignored her question as his mouth twisted into a grin. “You’re from the Samui family….aren’t you?” *** Zen felt the air leave her lungs as her back collided with the brick wall of the alley way. A fist connected with her jaw, knocking her off balance. Her mind spun as she felt the same hand wrap around her collar, hoisting her to her feet and pressing her against the wall. “Hah!” The man laughed madly. “You’re not so tough, eh?” The summoner glared up at him, trying to pry his hand from her shoulder. “Get your hands off me…Who do you think you are?!” He stopped laughing, and stared at her, his expression slowly darkening. “I suppose you don’t know. Why, I’m offended. We share the same family name, after all.” Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. “What…?” He chuckled darkly. “That’s right. I’m your cousin!” “Father doesn’t have any siblings.” “Yeah, well, I didn’t have the honor of being born into the main family. I’m part of the branch family.” He sneered. “You really think you’re something, don’t you? But the Samui name doesn’t mean much unless you’re living in that mansion of yours, right? You treat us like trash, like we don’t exist.” He tightened his grip, and she winced. “Still, I’ve always wanted to meet someone from the main family, so I can cut one open and see how they tick.” He reached behind his back and unsheathed a curved knife. “Maybe I’ll send a few pieces of you home, hm? Ransom you off to your precious father?” She gritted her teeth, half in anger from his proposition, and half from the pressure of his grip. “That won’t work as well as you think, scum….” He pressed the edge of his blade against her throat, leaning in close. “And why not? Is one of your brothers lurking around here?” “I’m here alone,” She snapped. “Liar.” He cast several cautious glances to the side. “I know you always travel in pairs.” Her gaze fell to the dirty ground at their feet. “…I’ve been exiled.” He stared at her, blankly. He must have been surprised because he lowered his knife and took a step back. Then, his cruel smile slowly returned. He chuckled slightly. Suddenly, he broke into laughter, throwing his head back. Zen saw red. He was laughing at her. He was mocking her. His mouth was moving, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying as she swung at him, blindly. She saw something drop out of the corner of her eye. All of a sudden, he stopped laughing. It was replaced by screaming as he writhed on the ground, clutching the place where his left arm should have been. Zen looked down at her hand and realized it was covered in crystal and blood. “You filthy brat,” The man at her feet growled. His hand that covered his wound flared red with fire energy, cauterizing the place where his arm had been severed. “I’m going to kill you.” Without hesitating, she turned and ran, out the alleyway, down the street. She didn’t know where she was going, she just ran. Her mind was clouded by fear and anger as she fled the town. She didn’t stop until she realized she was surrounded by trees. She was in a forest. She leaned against a tree for support as she caught her breath. She looked down at her trembling hand, still crystalized. She let the crystal shatter, and it clattered to the ground, taking the blood with it. She stared at her skin for a while, as if to make sure it was free of any traces of crimson. “Zen,” Lancia spoke to her timidly, “Are you alright?” The summoner jumped a little, startled. “I’m fine,” She replied curtly. “I know what you’re going to say, but…please summon me. You’re pretty shaken up, and your wounds still aren’t completely healed. Please…?” While she spoke, Zen began to find herself comforted by her unit’s voice. She almost felt compelled to summon her. At this, she shook her head, loosing the thoughts from her mind. “No, I…I do not need assistance.” No reply. Though she would not admit it, Zen almost felt disappointed that Lancia didn’t try to argue her point. She felt afraid. She felt angry. She felt alone. Category:Blog posts